Traditional Liberal Arts Colleges' Consideration and Adoption of Online Education: A Presidential

271 Pages·2017·3.52 MB·English

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Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences College of Education
2016
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Ericka T. Hollis
University of Kentucky, [e-mail]
Author ORCID Identifier:
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0353-4513
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2016.489
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Hollis, Ericka T., "Traditional Liberal Arts Colleges' Consideration and Adoption of Online Education: A
Presidential Perspective" (2016). Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences. 21.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edsc_etds/21
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The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on
behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of
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Ericka T. Hollis, Student
Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., Major Professor
Dr. Robert Shapiro, Director of Graduate Studies
TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES’ CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION
OF ONLINE EDUCATION: A PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

_____________________________________

DISSERTATION
_____________________________________

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky

By
Ericka T. Hollis

Lexington, Kentucky

Director: Dr. Wayne Lewis, Jr., Associate Professor of Educational Leadership Studies
Lexington, Kentucky
2016

Copyright © Ericka Tonise Hollis 2016
ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION

TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES’ CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION
OF ONLINE EDUCATION: A PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

National research studies have indicated that students are enrolling in more online
courses annually (Allen & Seaman, 2010, 2014, 2015); yet, not all higher education
institutions are adopting online education. In order to understand more about adoption of
online education in higher education and presidents’ perceptions of online education, this
study investigated the adoption of online education by traditional liberal arts colleges
(TLACs). These institutions and their presidents currently face numerous challenges and
threats as TLACs try to remain relevant in the 21st century while maintaining their liberal
arts mission. The importance of this study lies in the realization that many higher
education institutions and leaders are making decisions about the adoption of online
education while also examining if and how online education aligns with their existing
environment, mission, culture, and curricula.
Drawing upon the diffusion of innovations theory as the framework for informing
data collection, this study employed a two-phase, sequential mixed method design. Two
research questions guided this study: 1) To what extent has online education been
adopted at TLACs?; and 2) How do presidents at TLACs think about the adoption of
online higher education in general, within traditional liberal arts institutions, and within
their institutions specifically? In order to determine the level of online instructional
education activity at each TLAC, the first phase was exploratory. The research sample for
phase one of the study consisted of 55 TLACs that solely provided undergraduate
curriculum in the arts and sciences. Major findings from phase one of the study indicated
that more than half of TLACs (61.82%) did not have online education and did not offer
any online courses. The remaining TLACs adopted online education either as fully online
(16.36%) or hybrid (21.82%) courses. In the second phase, qualitative interviews with 11
TLAC presidents out of a population of 55 potential participants (20%) were conducted
to understand how these administrators feel and think about the adoption of online
education. Analyses of the TLAC presidential interviews resulted in three emergent
themes: Apprehensions Regarding Online Education, Perceived Inferiority of Online
Education, and Potential Opportunities From Online Education.

KEYWORDS: college presidency, online education, leadership, liberal arts colleges,
diffusion of innovations
Ericka T. Hollis______
Student’s Signature

12/09/2016__________
Date
TRADITIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES’ CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION
OF ONLINE EDUCATION: A PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

By

Ericka T. Hollis

Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.
Director of Dissertation

Dr. Robert Shapiro
Director of Graduate Studies

12/09/2016
Date
DEDICATION
To Byron K. Hollis, my life partner who consistently demonstrates steadfast support in all
aspects of my life.
#TeamHollis
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This dissertation is the manifestation of a dream of an eighteen-year undergraduate
student. I truly thank God for placing this dream in my spirit and allowing it to come to past.
Mere words cannot express my gratitude. I trust and believe wholeheartedly in Jeremiah
29:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, which has been the scripture to sustain
me during this journey.
This dissertation would have been impossible without the assistance and support of
many who have crossed my path. To my husband Byron, I would have not been able to
accomplish this goal without you so I share this accomplishment with you. Thank you for
giving me the time and the space to make my dream come true, supporting me every way
imaginable, and making the sacrifices needed to allow to us to get to this point. Your
unwavering belief in me carried me when I doubted myself. I love you more!
To my family and friends, thank you for love and support. I am grateful to my parents
for instilling in me the importance of education. Your sacrifices have not gone unnoticed, and
I owe you more than I could ever repay you. To my mom, who has exemplified a strong
work ethic and perseverance throughout my life. To my dad, who always makes me laugh
and reminds me how proud he is of me. I am also thankful to my sisters, brothers, aunties,
uncles, cousins, extended family, and Sunday School class for their ongoing encouragement
and love.
I extend my sincere gratitude to my dissertation chair, Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. who
has been with me every step of the way. I am beyond grateful for your mentorship and
friendship during this roller coaster journey. Thank you for pushing me and allowing me to
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process things in my own way. Your advice has been invaluable to me as a person and as a
scholar.
I owe many thanks to my dissertation committee members for their time, patience,
and encouragement throughout this process. Dr. Willis A. Jones, thank you for listening and
giving earnest advice every time I knocked on your door. Dr. Jayson W. Richardson, thank
you for immediate responsiveness and thoughtful feedback, weird sense of humor, and
allowing me to learn with and from you for 3 years. Dr. Beth Rous, thank you for
encouraging me and challenging me throughout the process and providing hugs whenever I
asked. Dr. John Thelin, thank you for sharing your wisdom and expertise in the area higher
education and helping me grow as a scholar.
I want to thank my amazing #UKSTL cohort members, other College of Education
graduate students, and other faculty and staff in the Department of Educational Leadership.
I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work with and learn from such a talented
group of leaders, scholars, and practitioners. I owe a special thanks to my colleague friend
Dr. Kevin Flora, who has consistently cheered me on as we endured through this process
together. Dr. Rachel Allen, my online doctoral accountable partner and friend, thanks for
always being only a couple of keystrokes away despite our time difference—we did it! Dr.
Victoria Sherif, my colleague and friend, thanks for sharing your support, perspectives, and
chocolate with me. I would also like to thank a special friend, Dr. Clarenda Phillips who has
gone over and beyond to support me during this entire process while being both near and far.
Finally, I would like to thank all those who shared insight and experiences with me
during this dissertation research study. Your participation made this dissertation possible.
Thank you for your time and energy with helping reach this accomplishment.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………........ iii
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………...ix
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………………..x

Chapter 1: Introduction to Research Study
Problem Statement ....................................................................................................... 5
Purpose and Significance of the Problem .................................................................... 7
Research Questions and Design ................................................................................... 9
Setting and Sample .................................................................................................... 10
Limitations and Delimitations .................................................................................... 11
Key Terms Defined .................................................................................................... 12
Overview of the Study ............................................................................................... 13

Chapter 2: Introduction to Research Study
Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities .......................................................................... 16
History ........................................................................................................................ 18
Characteristics ............................................................................................................ 19
Thriving, Surviving, or Endangered? ......................................................................... 23
Online Learning in Higher Education ............................................................................ 34
History of Online Education ...................................................................................... 35
Online Education Approaches ................................................................................... 38
Quality, Effectiveness, and Legitimacy ..................................................................... 40
Institutional Motivation for Adopting Online Learning ............................................ 45
Challenges to Online Education Adoption ................................................................ 62
College/University Presidency ....................................................................................... 70
Presidential Profile ..................................................................................................... 71
Presidential Leadership .................................................................................................. 72
Power and Shared Governance .................................................................................. 74
Leadership in Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities ............................................... 75
Theoretical Framework: Diffusion of Innovations ....................................................... 78
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